Going Public: Readiness and Success Event Held in Cooperation Between QSE and Pillsbury Law Firm

May 1, 2017

In cooperation between QSE and Pillsbury Law Firm, the informative event: “Going Public: Readiness and Success” was held yesterday, April 30 in W Doha Hotel & Residences to focus on important questions and issues facing companies intending to go public and how to prepare for.

 In his opening remarks, Mr. Rashid Bin Ali Al Mansoori, CEO of Qatar Stock Exchange, welcomed representatives of a cross-section of private companies and said that what we would like to achieve is not to suggest that the only way forward right now is to list but that for some of you there will come a time when the benefits of being listed become more tangible as your businesses develop, grow and take on new challenges. That being the case we hope to help you understand the process better and dispel some of the myths surrounding listing.

“We are pleased to be part of this event alongside our partners, Pillsbury who are both recognised experts in the area of listing as well as supporters of the business community here in Qatar who in various ways are assisting you, the leaders of Qatar’s current and future corporate champions”, he said.  

“Indeed part of the reason for this gathering today is that collectively we are seeing more interest in listing than has been the case for a number of years.  We believe that you will see a growing number of case studies that will showcase the benefits of having access to the public markets”, Mr. Al Mansoori noted.   

He urged the companies not to see the first day of trading as the end of the process but to work hard to maximise the benefits of listing through proper practices which follow and which are as important the listing process itself. 

He highlighted that the most successful companies in the world, including those here in the region are those that are publicly listed. “If your legacy is to be a business still thriving in not ten years but one hundred years creating a publicly listed vehicle with permanent capital, professional executive management but still with the protection for your family has to be an option, he concluded.

Mr. David Decker, Chairman of Pillsbury Law Firm, stated that Qatar is a promising market and that Legal systems are highly developed, and he praised QSE's efforts in developing the market and inviting companies to be listed.

Mr. Ahmed Anani, Managing Partner of Pillsbury Law Firm in the Middle East, said that the cooperation with Qatar Exchange to hold this Event is an inevitable result of Pillsbury’s activity in the Qatari market as well as the initiatives of Qatar Exchange to develop and activate the stock market in Qatar. Also, Pillsbury is committed in partnership with Qatar Exchange to continue to participate in the development of capital markets in Qatar and to provide leading legal services for listed companies or those intending to be listed.

"Mr. Anani added that there is a growing interest in Qatar Stock Exchange from foreign investors given what QSE represents as a safe market for investment that grants good return on investment".